Kauaʻi · Travel guide
Kauaʻi, done right
The Garden Isle and the oldest of the main islands: the sea cliffs of the Nā Pali Coast, Hanalei Bay, sunny Poʻipū, and the quietest pace in Hawaiʻi.
Fly into
Līhuʻe (LIH)
Getting around
Rent a car — no road circles the island
Where to stay
Poʻipū for sun, the North Shore for scenery
Heads up
Waimea Canyon & Kōkeʻe closed (Oct 2026)
Book these first
The experiences that define the island
These sell out first, and each one is the reason people fly here. Every guide compares the options side by side.
Nā Pali Coast Boat Tours
Seventeen miles of sea cliffs with no road in. The boat you pick decides whether you slip into sea caves or sip a mai tai on deck.
Compare 8 tours
Kauaʻi Helicopter Tours
Most of Kauaʻi’s interior is roadless. An hour in the air shows you the Nā Pali cliffs, Waimea Canyon, and waterfalls you can’t reach any other way.
Compare 8 tours
Kauaʻi Luaus
An imu-roasted feast, hula, and fire knives. Kauaʻi’s luaus differ more in setting and show style than in price.
Compare 4 toursTraveler favorites
The most-reviewed tours on the island
Ranked by Viator review count — the trips thousands of visitors have already vetted.
Know the island
Five regions on one road that doesn’t close the loop
Kūhiō Highway ends at Kēʻē on the North Shore and the west-side road ends near Polihale; the Nā Pali Coast in between has no road at all. Sunny Poʻipū and the Coconut Coast are the easy bases.
North Shore
Taro fields, Hanalei Bay, and the end of the road
Good base
East Side
The central, good-value base on the Coconut Coast
Good base
Lihue
Airport town with a beach, a harbor, and history
Good base
South Shore
Resorts, sunny beaches, and monk seal sightings
Good base
West Side
Small towns below the Grand Canyon of the Pacific
Good baseExplore
Everything worth doing on Kauaʻi
Tours & Activities
Boat days, helicopter flights, snorkel sails, luaus, and the island’s signature night and summit trips — the bookings that define a Hawaiʻi trip.
ExploreBeaches
White-sand resort coves, young black-sand beaches, hike-in solitude, and the reefs worth bringing a mask for.
ExploreSights & Parks
National parks, sacred places, waterfalls, and valley lookouts — the sights to build your days around.
ExploreEat & Drink
Shave ice, poke, plate lunch, saimin, and coffee at the farm — the island food worth planning a day around.
ExploreEditor’s picks
Places worth the drive
Swimming BeachesNorth Shore
Hanalei Bay
It’s the North Shore postcard you can actually spend a whole day in: swim off the sand in summer, paddle the river mouth, then watch the sunset from the 1892 pier.
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Snorkel SpotsNorth Shore
Kēʻē Beach
Because visitor numbers are capped, Kēʻē still feels like a reward: calm-day snorkeling, Nāpali views from your towel, and one of the island’s best sunsets.
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Swimming BeachesEast Side
Lydgate Beach Park
On an island of beautiful but dangerous beaches, this is the reliable one: calm, lifeguarded water inside the walls, a huge playground and the coastal path starting right here.
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Lookouts & Scenic PointsNorth Shore
Kīlauea Point National Wildlife Refuge
It’s the best wildlife viewing you can do on Kauaʻi without a boat: seabirds soaring off the cliffs, nēnē on the lawns, and whales spouting offshore in season.
Read moreNational & State ParksNorth Shore
Kalalau Trail to Hanakāpīʻai
It’s the only way to stand on the Nāpali Coast without a boat or permit, and the views back toward Kēʻē in the first half-mile are worth the reservation alone.
Read moreLihue
Hamura Saimin
This is Kauaʻi in a bowl: humble, fast, consistent and beloved by locals for generations. Don’t leave without the pie.
Read moreWhere to stay
Stays we’d book
Luxury resort North Shore area1 Hotel Hanalei Bay
Couples who want North Shore scenery with full-service luxury
It has the view: straight down Hanalei Bay to the mountains. Add serious spa and fitness facilities and a farm-to-table kitchen, and it’s the North Shore splurge we’d book.
Reopened and welcoming guests after Hurricane Lowell, per the hotel’s site (Oct. 2026).
Resort South Shore areaKoloa Landing Resort
Families who want villa space and a showpiece pool in Poʻipū
You get villa space with real kitchens plus one of the most fun pools in Hawaiʻi, which is the best combination on the South Shore for families.
Looked normal from outside in early October 2026 after Hurricane Lowell, and is taking bookings online.
Boutique & lodge South Shore areaKoʻa Kea
Couples who want a small beachfront hotel in Poʻipū
It’s the grown-up alternative to the megaresorts. You get the South Shore’s best beach out front without a thousand neighbors.
After Hurricane Lowell, management expected normal operations to resume within about two weeks (AP, Sept. 11, 2026). The hotel’s site is taking reservations.
Getting around
You’ll want a rental car.
Public transit is limited and the best sights are hours apart. Pick up at Līhuʻe (LIH) and compare every major company in one search.
Photo: dronepicr via Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0